directrix
directrix Lexical Profile
directrix Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A fixed line used in geometry to define a conic section (such as a parabola, ellipse, or hyperbola), characterized by the fact that the ratio of the distance from any point on the curve to a fixed point (the focus) and to this line is constant.
"To correctly graph the parabola, the students first had to calculate the position of its focus and directrix."
A woman who directs, manages, or guides; a female director.
"In the nineteenth century, she served as the directrix of the newly established boarding school for girls."
Word Nuance & Usage
In geometry, the plural is typically 'directrices'. As a title for a female director, the term is now archaic and generally replaced by the gender-neutral 'director'.
• Rhymes for directrix
Word Origin & Etymology
Late Middle English: from Late Latin directrix, the feminine form of director ('guide'), derived from the verb dirigere.